New Tech: Magic Lantern and the Winds of Change

     A major shift is about to happen in the video world and I'm here to let you in on the secret. Anyone who shoots on a Canon DSLR should already be using the free hack Magic Lantern. It turns what a still photo camera into a powerhouse of a video camera. With that, Magic Lantern has made the most significant leap forward for indie filmmakers since the invention of the CCD chip. Through coding and hacking, I don't really understand, they have modified most Canons, starting with the 5D mark iii, to shoot 2K RAW video. While this hasn't been released in an alpha version yet a lot of independent movie makers are already making use of it and it's easy to see why. Here's a side by side comparison of the H264 compressed 5D video and then the 2K RAW.

Here’s a link if you want to check out the video: http://petapixel.com/2013/05/31/canon-raw-footage-using-magic-lantern-hack-trumps-h-264-at-high-isos/

As you can see, the dynamic range is incredible! This has essentially taken cheap DSLR's the indie moviemakers can afford and made them just as good as the RED and F700. You can argue with me in the comments section on that last statement if you want but you can't argue with the price. The best part - you don't even need a 5D mark iii. They just hacked the 60D and made it be able to shoot RAW - before it couldn't even shoot video. That's a professional video camera at a cost of only $750!

P.S. They've just announced early frame shots for the Nikon D7000 as well so Nikon users will get in on the action too.

Written By: Jeremy Hatfield
Edited By: Adam Willemssen

Filmmaker/Tech

EFillF Productions, LLC

www.efillfproductions.net